Uniroyal® Tire & Coupon Mom™ Stephanie Nelson Offer Easy Cost-Cutting Tips For the Holidays
GREENVILLE, S.C. – (October 5, 2007) – Whether you begin the holiday season after carving the turkey for a nice Thanksgiving meal or even earlier, the holidays often spark feelings of anxiety. With consumer debt and basic living costs on the rise, many families are wondering how they will buy gifts for everyone on their list. The average shopper spends $800 during the holiday season, leaving many families seeing “red” come New Year’s.
According to Uniroyal Tire and savings expert Stephanie Nelson, staying out of debt and off Santa’s naughty list is easy by following some simple savings tips on everything from driving to decorating.
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Drive Efficiently:
First of all, with gas prices remaining at high levels, there are efficiencies to be gained for the road trip to grandma’s. According to Nelson, high gas prices shouldn’t dampen the holiday spirit or compromise travel plans to see family. By following a few easy tips from Uniroyal, families can get much more mileage for their money:
Check the inflation pressure of your tires. Research conducted by Uniroyal found that most Americans are driving around on under-inflated tires. You need to check your tire inflation pressure “cold” once a month and adjust accordingly. The proper inflation pressure can be found in the vehicle’s owner’s manual or on the placard usually located inside the doorjamb. The pressure indicated on the tire sidewall is the maximum pressure allowed, not what is recommended for your vehicle. This simple step can save up to nine cents per gallon.
Maintain proper wheel alignment. Making sure your vehicle is properly aligned can save as much as 15 cents per gallon. Your local Uniroyal dealer can assess your vehicle’s wheel alignment.
Replace clogged air filters. This is a biggie! A clean filter versus one that is severely clogged can mean savings as much as 31 cents per gallon! Air filters also keep impurities in the air from damaging internal engine components.
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Decorate Efficiently:
With your car ready for a trip over the river and through the woods, it’s time to decorate your home in a cost-efficient manner for the holiday season:
Make your holiday lights both festive and value conscious. Remember that the bigger the bulb, the more electricity it uses. Consider using Light Emitting Diode (LED) holiday lights for your holiday decorating. LED bulbs save up to 80- to 90-percent of your energy costs and are long-lasting. For example, 20 strings of 100-bulb mini lights burning for six hours a day will add about $25.20 per month on your energy bill versus only $2.52 for 20 strings of 100-bulb energy-saving LED holiday lights. They’re also shatterproof, shock resistant, safe to touch and won’t burn the hands of little ones. While a strand of LED lights come at a higher initial cost than the traditional incandescent lights, research shows that the cost to purchase and operate a system for five years and beyond brings more value for your money. The lifespan of a traditional incandescent strand of lights is usually three to five years. LED holiday light manufacturers guarantee their products for five years and project that they should last up to 20 holiday seasons.
Keep your inflatable yard decoration’s flying time to a minimum. Can’t wait until December 1 to inflate Frosty? With recent sales on popular shopping network channels in the thousands, an increasing number of consumers enjoy adding these yard ornaments to their holiday displays. Unfortunately, inflatable yard decorations are often lighted from within and equipped with motorized fans that cost homeowners on average about $1.31 a day in electricity to operate. Keep Frosty’s flying time to a minimum and it will save you on your energy bill.
Put your holiday displays on timers. Timers will prevent you from forgetting to turn your displays off at night and keep your energy bill at a minimum.
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Shop Efficiently:
Make the most out of the busy holiday shopping season by shopping online and use these tips to find the best deals:
Find the lowest price online. The Internet is a great resource for comparison shopping. Use price comparison sites such as www.shoplocal.com to search for items on your gift list. These sites allow you to compare prices for online stores as well as local retailers in your area. “When considering online shopping versus traditional shopping, consider the cost benefits of free shipping and sales tax savings, in addition to the time and gas you save not going to the store,” says Nelson.
Find an online coupon code. Search online coupon code Web sites to see if a coupon code is available for online retailers for free shipping or a percentage off your purchase. Online coupon codes are readily available on thousands of Web sites for online merchants and can be found using search engines with keywords such as “online coupon code” or “online discount”.
Get an automatic rebate. When shopping online, shop through online rebate sites such as www.Upromise.com, www.Babymint.com, www.Ebates.com, or www.Clubmom.com. By setting up an account at a rebate Web site and shopping at online retailers, (hundreds of retailers are represented at these sites), you will receive cash back on your purchases. Combine your rebate with the online coupon codes for further discounts!
As part of the Uniroyal “More Mileage for your Money” campaign, Uniroyal and Nelson have offered money-saving advice throughout the year. “This campaign is a logical extension of Uniroyal’s mission to provide good quality, affordable tires to American drivers,” said Kaz Holley, Uniroyal® brand director.
During the “More Mileage for your Money” campaign, Nelson has educated consumers on easy ways to save money throughout every season of the year. More tips and advice on gas savings can be found on www.uniroyal.com, and Nelson’s Uniroyal-sponsored Web site, www.couponmom.com, which provides free assistance to families on grocery savings.
Nelson specializes in helping consumers become savvier about finding everyday bargains and value. She knows all the tricks of the trade when it comes to maximizing value and slashing spending in many areas, including automotive, travel, clothing, restaurants, groceries, gifts, theme parks, gardening and entertainment. She has been a regular on-air contributor to ABC News’ Good Morning America, and a columnist for ABCNews.com.
Uniroyal Tire is one of the world's leading tire brands for passenger and commercial cars, pick-ups, light trucks, mini vans and sport utility vehicles. Dating back to 1892, Uniroyal Tire has developed a reputation for providing high-quality, affordable tires including its Tiger Paw® and Laredo® tire series. Uniroyal® tires offer just the right combination of dependability, traction and grip in almost every weather condition, and come with one of the industry's leading warranties. Visit Uniroyal Tire online at www.uniroyal.com.
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Trade Commission, N.C. Department of Commerce, Car Care Council, www.gasbuddy.com, www.gaspricewatch.com, Boston Consulting Group. Estimates based on 2006 Toyota Camry with 18.5 gallon gas tank and gas mileage 24 city/33 highway. Savings based on average cost of unleaded gasoline $3.05 per gallon (6/1/07) and 15,000 miles driven annually. Holiday tips in collaboration with savings expert, Stephanie Nelson.
Contact:
Aleasha Vuncannon
(336) 819-6951
avuncannon@trone.com
Lynne Slovick
(864) 458-6365
lynne.slovick@us.michelin.com
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